The spectre of shortage
that shaped my
post-war life
The Cafe
Alex Cox
Yemen and
America’s fear
of the franchise
Rear Window
Hydropathic holidays
In Barcelona, I was struck
by two presences and
one absence
The Last Word
John Brown
Rear Window
The Recreation Room, which would make a splendid ball-room, has a piano that once was grand, and upon its willing notes a lady ‘of uncertain age’ is performing ‘The Irresistible Quadrilles’ which begin with ‘A frog he would a wooing go’, while no fewer than eight persons, none older than 40, are gliding through ‘figure 4’.
This quadrille business, as many excellent Hydropathists will tell you, is just the thin end of the wedge. In 10 years, it will be the polka, and after that the wicked waltz. What are the Hydropathics coming to?
J J Bell on a Scottish hydropathic holiday, 1880s
The meals were served at long tables; one had to mix with one’s fellows and make the necessary genteel conversation. There was a fine, full breakfast followed by a fine, full mid-day dinner. There was a good plain tea at half-past five, with scones and cookies and ‘fancy bread’ abounding. Those who had just arrived, and had missed their dinner, had to be given value for money and so got eggs to their tea or cold meat. At half-past nine a service of milk, bread, butter, and cheese was laid on in the dining-room.
Those late for meals were confronted by a money-box into which, for charity’s benefit, they paid one penny per (unpunctual) person, thus atoning for sin. There was always grace before meat and at 9.45 prayers in the drawing-room. At 10 o’clock or so one withdrew, possibly hoping for a nice read in bed. Vain expectation unless you had brought your own candles! The lights were officially turned off at 10.30.
Ivor Brown on a Scottish hydropathic holiday, 1950s
Yemen and
America’s fear of
the franchise
Alan Fisher
With Saleh looking increasingly fragile, the worry for the Americans and the West is what comes next. Any new government would have to address the economic issues, poverty and democratic reform in the country.
Opposition leaders and protesters are quick to dismiss the threat of AQAP. They insist it is small and mainly a creation of the president to secure millions of dollars in aid. They believe when the president disappears, so will the Al Qaeda franchise in his country.
It is a naive position to hold. AQAP is regarded as one of the most sophisticated groups of its kind in the world. Formed by a merger by the Saudi and Yemeni supporters of Al Qaeda in 2009, it has the desire, if not quite the capability, to launch attacks on US soil. The attempted bombing of the Detroit-bound jet by explosives hidden in underwear, was a reminder of its reach and sophistication. It even publishes a bi-monthly newsletter in Arabic and a quarterly English version.
Shortly after the Christmas Day incident, the US doubled its counter-terrorism aid to $150 million.
With Saleh looking increasingly fragile, the worry for the Americans and the West is what comes next. Any new government would have to address the economic issues, poverty and democratic reform in the country. There are many in the south who believe that the unification of the country in 1990 was a mistake and could use any post-Saleh chaos for their own ends. That would create great uncertainty which could easily be exploited by AQAP.
The group has only issued two statements on the recent Arab revolutions. Both encouraged revolt but also encouraged a basic Islamic fundamentalism which seems at odds with many of the protesters.
Any failure to bring speedy improvement is likely to present an opportunity for Al Qaeda to exploit. The world has seen how quick and capable they are to do that.
Alan Fisher is an Al Jazeera correspondent
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